Serras do Porto Natura 2030, a nature conservation, ecological restoration and climate adaptation project worth more than €1.7 million, was presented in Paredes on 28 May. It covers about six thousand hectares across Gondomar, Paredes and Valongo, much of it inside the Valongo special conservation area of the Natura 2000 network. The project responds to threats such as invasive species, degraded watercourses, human pressure and the gradual loss of sensitive habitats.

The money and the numbers

  • Total investment: more than €1.7 million
  • NORTE 2030 funding: more than €1.5 million
  • Area covered: about six thousand hectares
  • Watercourses to be rehabilitated: 8.4 km

What the work involves

The restoration of priority habitats is a central element, in particular European dry heaths, riverside woodland and peat depressions. The project also includes buying two plots at Águas Férreas in Valongo, an area of critical importance for the breeding of the golden-striped salamander, where old Roman mines serve as unique ecological refuges. Along the Ferreira and Sousa rivers, 8.4 kilometres of watercourses will be rehabilitated with nature-based solutions to recover banks, stabilise slopes, control invasive species and improve water quality. These measures aim to make the area more resilient to extreme weather events and to restore habitats for many protected species.

Monitoring

Environmental DNA will be used to inventory aquatic species and detect fauna that is hard to observe. Birds, dragonflies, the golden-striped salamander and the microhabitats in the old Roman mines will be monitored systematically. Weather stations, wildlife sensors, monitoring cameras and a drone will collect data and follow the evolution of the restored areas continuously.

Education and outreach

A communication plan will include audiovisual content, management of digital platforms and awareness actions for different audiences. A children’s book, a theatre play, educational sessions for schools, families and local actors, and volunteer actions to control invasive species and plant native species are also planned.